La Cantine Farmers recently opened in place of La Cevicheria, at number 12 rue Martel. And if the name, with its sweet notes of hay, and the uncluttered beige and vegetal decor, lead you to believe that this is a restaurant where you can eat only dishes made from seeds, think again: this new address from The Social Club group and the Farmers family, which already has a coffee shop and an ice cream parlour in Paris, is much more naughty and gourmet than it seems.
Better still, this protean place is open every day from breakfast to afternoon tea, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a way of satisfying both sweet and savory cravings, and serving as a refuge for telecommuters looking for a quiet place to work in peace, while still being able to settle down for a pastry, cookie, hot drink or freshly squeezed fruit juice.
So it's possible to get the day off to a good start with tempting pastries, led by cookies, but also with the complete dishes offered every day from the moment you wake up - scrambled eggs with herbs, toast, bacon or bottarga; pancakes topped with apple compote and maple syrup.
Or to be motivated enough by Sunday brunch to get out of bed without too much grumbling, with its formula on which great classics of the genre rub shoulders with small bistro-style dishes: brioche perdue with turmeric, perfect egg, creamed mushrooms, watercress pesto; artichoke cream, coffee crumble, mussels marinière; roasted leeks, ginger mayo, pomelos, almonds and preserved lemons; rice pudding, salted butter caramel and meringue slivers; and of course cakes and viennoiseries... Enough to whet the appetite!
At lunchtime, the menu is refined, revealing just 3 starters, 3 main courses and 3 desserts that change daily, with always at least one proposal for vegetarians. Behind the stove, chef Thibault Eurin takes great pleasure in working with plants and simple, sometimes forgotten products, such as root vegetables.
Having worked in the kitchens of Parisian restaurants with a reputation for being devilishly meaty(Bien Elevé, Bien Ficelé), after having cut his teeth in Michelin-starred restaurants, the chef nevertheless attaches as much importance to the sapidity of his meaty dishes as he does to veggie dishes, as evidenced by these roasted carrots with honey and allspice, mimolette, black radish and nutmeg yoghurt ; or roasted celery with tandoori, celery-hazelnut condiment, oat flakes and butternut mousseline.
Proof, once again, that Parisian bistronomy is evolving more than ever, Cantine Farmers joins the ranks of new bistronomic addresses that refuse to be overpriced, offering carefully prepared and generously served dishes in lunch menus ranging from €21 for a starter-main course or main course-dessert to €26 for a starter-main course-dessert. You can't get much more affordable than that - after all, this is Paris.
The result is one of the best dishes we've tasted this year, a veal tartare (+2€ on the menu), the ultimate melting pot, accompanied by crumbled fete, hazelnuts, broccoli tabbouleh and a stunning violet mustard ; followed by half a duck breast (+3€ on the menu), served rosé as it should be, with a sweet potato purée so fine it melts, vegetable chips and a full-bodied jus.
For dessert, chef Thibault Eurin gets in on the act too, with a modernized coffee éclair that's a real winner. We leave with the feeling that we've eaten good food for a more than reasonable price. An address to keep in mind if you're ever in the Strasbourg Saint-Denis area.
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